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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931119">Berry Tart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/petitmelon/pseuds/Marvelle%20Petit'>Marvelle Petit (petitmelon)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Berry Kisses [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rune Factory 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:08:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/petitmelon/pseuds/Marvelle%20Petit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Frey has a crush on Dylas but Leon is determined to capture Frey's heart.</p>
<p>Reupload/Remaster of fics originally posted on ff.net. Happy Remaster Release, everyone!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dylas/Frey (Rune Factory), Frey/Leon (Rune Factory)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Berry Kisses [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647115</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the beginning, his foul attitude drove everyone away. Frey spoke to him out of a sense of duty as the princess, but as the days went by, she realized his attitude wasn't due to his personality being foul, rather, he was both shy and introverted. Misunderstood, even. Little by little, she began treasuring her short conversations with him and felt herself falling for him.</p>
<p>Aside from one thing.</p>
<p>The only other person to get a rise out of him was Doug. At first, it seemed like a hostile rivalry, but as she watched them there was a sense of camaraderie between them. As Pico said, it seemed like only the truest of friends would talk to each other like that.</p>
<p>But to her eyes, there seemed to be something that wasn't a true friendship. Nearly every other topic was about Doug. Even when she tried to change it, he would bring it back to the fiery dwarf.</p>
<p>Almost... like they loved each other.</p>
<p>
  <em>THUNK</em>
</p>
<p>"Ow!" Frey cried and fell backwards into something warm and firm.</p>
<p>"Whoa!" Leon exclaimed, grasping her shoulders and steadying her. "Quite a hit you took there."</p>
<p>
  <em>Of all people to see, why Leon? He'll never let me live it down! </em>
</p>
<p>"Never knew our princess to be a klutz."</p>
<p>Frey sighed and rubbed her forehead.</p>
<p>"Unless something occupied your mind?"</p>
<p>She shrugged. "Yeah, a bit."</p>
<p>He smiled and held out his arm. "Then, shall we walk together awhile?"</p>
<p>She blinked in surprise. "What?"</p>
<p>"Think of me as your seeing-eye dog. I can't have you ruining that cute forehead with a nasty bump. Hook your arm with mine and you can think all you want without bumping into light poles."</p>
<p>"I'll take that offer." She hooked her arm around his.</p>
<p>They walked in comfortable silence around the town. Frey let Leon dictate where to go and let her mind wander once more to her stubborn horse and the possibility of a love triangle existing between herself and Doug. When Leon lead her outside the castle walls to the plains, she said nothing in protest. If anything, being outside the walls cleared her mind even better than before. Still, once they were a good distance away from the town, she found herself needing confirmation of her thoughts. "Hey Leon," she began.</p>
<p>His ears flicked back and forth. "Yes?"</p>
<p>"Umm," she paused. Would it be weird to ask him directly? He didn't seem like the type to shy away from replying though, at least, of the entire town, she could probably count on him to say it bluntly. "What do you think of Doug and Dylas?"</p>
<p>"Hmm," he replied, slightly waving his peacock fan. "In what manner?"</p>
<p>Her cheeks flushed. "Well, you know, do you think they're..."</p>
<p>"In denial of their true feelings?"</p>
<p>She nodded, face hot with embarrassment.</p>
<p>He said nothing in reply and poked her arm with a folded fan. "Come on, let's go this way."</p>
<p>They stopped at the lake south of town. Leon took off his sandals and waded into the water, gesturing for Frey to do the same. "So our little princess is either in love with Dylas or Doug but she thinks they're both in love with each other. Is that correct?"</p>
<p>Her jaw dropped.</p>
<p>He laughed and poked her cheek with his fan. "Hit the nail on the head, did I?"</p>
<p>She buried her face in her hands. Yes, Leon would answer her question, but he would also tease her about it. The man was frustrating to deal with! A soft tingle traveled down her spine as he teased her hair. She looked at him through her fingers and saw a gentle smile. For a split second, her heart stopped. His eyes met hers and he stopped playing with her hair and returned to his usual mischievous grin.</p>
<p>"Gonna come out of hiding so I can finish answering your question?"</p>
<p>She nodded and slowly removed her hands. "You think so too, don't you?"</p>
<p>He shrugged and looked at the clouds. "What I can tell you, is starting a relationship with someone and holding doubt in your heart will cast a shadow on the relationship and doom it with heavy storms."</p>
<p>Those were surprisingly deep words from a man she wrote off as a jokester. Her brows furrowed in thought. Perhaps it would be wise to put away those feelings before they blossomed into something.</p>
<p>Cold water splashed onto her face.</p>
<p>Leon laughed. "That cute forehead of yours is going to get wrinkles if you keep that sour face too long."</p>
<p>"Leon!" she growled as she kicked water on him as retaliation.</p>
<p>He smirked. "You want to play that game, do you?" He ran his foot along the water and kicked up a huge splash in her face. She tried to dodge, but it managed to get most of her torso wet. She leaned down to cup a huge splash, but he nudged her with his foot and she fell face first into the water.</p>
<p>"Leon!"</p>
<p>His laugh echoed in the small space. "Here, here," he replied, holding out his hand. "I'll take you back to dry off."</p>
<p>She took it, and in a smooth movement, pulled him down into the water with her. He coughed and his ears and tail twitched in annoyance. "You realize what trouble you're in, right?"</p>
<p>Frey smiled sweetly and splashed water in his face as a reply.</p>
<p>"You're in for it now." He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her underwater. As she came back up, she splashed her arms wildly, creating a torrent of water streams, and once he was distracted, lunged her body forward, tackling him into the water.</p>
<p>Swiftly, he lifted her up and tossed her into the far water. As she swam back, he trudged to the shore, weighed down by his water-logged clothes. She snatched his ankle and tugged, bringing him back to the water. He pushed her away, but she tackled him and they rolled over the shoreline until she triumphantly pinned him down.</p>
<p>His cerulean blue eyes sparkled. "So, this is the way you like it? Can't say I'm going to complain."</p>
<p>"Leon," she admonished and gave into a resigned laugh. "You're such a brat."</p>
<p>He reached up and tapped her forehead with his index finger. "Forget about him."</p>
<p>"Huh?" she replied in confusion.</p>
<p>He chuckled and gently pushed their bodies apart. "We should head back. Unless you like being wet, in which case I'll happily take care of it."</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>"That's the face I like," he replied with a warm smile.</p>
<p>Her lips pursed. "You're such a flirt."</p>
<p>"Am I?" He shrugged. "Maybe I'm the most honest person here."</p>
<p>For a moment, she could swear his eyes seemed serious and not his usual carefree, but before she could decide either which way it vanished.</p>
<p>As they walked back into town, their clothes left a wet trail and made a loud noise with each step. Frey giggled. Hopefully, no one would be in the square and see the town's princess and the Dragon Priest walk in like a couple of wet dogs.</p>
<p>"P-Princess!" Vishnal stuttered as they walked through the gate. "What happened?"</p>
<p>"Did you know at Keeno Lake there's a giant squid? We tried to catch it but it got the better of us, as you can see. Perhaps a butler like yourself can handle the problem," Leon replied without skipping a beat.</p>
<p>Vishnal's eyes gleamed with determination. "You're right! As a super butler in training, I should be able to handle the problems my princess cannot! Don't worry princess, I'll take care of the squid for you!"</p>
<p>"Be... careful," Frey said to the cloud of dust Vishnal left behind. She shot a playful glare at Leon and softly laughed. "Thanks."</p>
<p>"Being with you is the best way to kill time."</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>"Let's go for a walk again sometime," he replied, waving his hand goodbye as he sauntered off.</p>
<p>All at once confusing, frustrating, and maddening, yet behind his façade was a kind man with wise words. A part of her wanted to become closer to the playful priest. Tomorrow they should go on a walk again. Just not to Keeno Lake.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Berry Tarts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Frey yawned as she walked to the airship. Discovering the seasonal fields seemed like a boon, but checking up on them took all morning. Her eyes widened when she saw Leon lazily gazing at the sunrise from the stern of the ship. "Good morning, Leon."</p>
<p>He glanced at her for a second before returning his gaze to the sky. "Good mor- no, let's go with bad night instead."</p>
<p>Frey grimaced. "I guess that's why you're up early."</p>
<p>His chuckle filled the awkward silence that followed. "Well, I'll be off. Can't be interfering with official royal business, can I?"</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Every single muscle in Frey's shoulder ached in agony. By time she tended the three fields at home and the four seasonal fields she was ready to collapse. Not only that, she felt dirty, both from the soil and the sweat that drenched her body. Nothing felt better than a bath after the morning chores.</p>
<p>"Ah, Leon," she called as she approached the baths, waving.</p>
<p>His smile never seemed like a real smile, much like when he looked at her or spoke with her she felt like he could see through to her innermost secrets. He stopped and waited for her to approach. "Fancy a bath after a hard morning's work?"</p>
<p>She rolled her shoulder. "Yeah. I'm really sore."</p>
<p>"Hmm," he mused as he opened the door, "I know a good way of getting rid of soreness. Meet me in my room after your bath."</p>
<p>
  <em>Is he suggesting--</em>
</p>
<p>Leon laughed, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Not quite like that, but I'll keep it in mind for future purposes."</p>
<p>"Morning, you two!" Lin Fa greeted. "Come for a bath?"</p>
<p>"Yes, it seems our princess is rather <em>dirty</em> today."</p>
<p>Lin Fa laughed. "Our Princess is dirty?"</p>
<p>"From farming," Frey interrupted.</p>
<p>Lin Fa blinked. "What else would make you dirty?"</p>
<p>Leon smirked. "Yes, tell us, what else would make you dirty?"</p>
<p>Blood rushed to her face. She closed her eyes and held out her money. "I'm here to take a bath!" A warm hand covered hers and pushed it back to her chest.</p>
<p>"I'll pay for her," Leon volunteered. "I owe her one."</p>
<p>As they walked up the stairs to the baths, Dylas came down. Frey's heart stopped. "Hi, Dylas!" she greeted as their paths crossed, voice pitched unnaturally high.</p>
<p>He glanced at her, then at Leon with a skeptical gaze, and said "Hey."</p>
<p>Before she could say anything else, he walked off. Leon's tail twitched. "I see now. You're fond of stubborn horses."</p>
<p>Her jaw dropped as her face turned beet red. Leon laughed and patted her head. "I'd say go cool off, but it's a hot bath, isn't it? Try not to work yourself up even more in that case."</p>
<p>"Leon!"</p>
<p>His tail swayed to and fro as he sauntered into the male's side of the bath, laughing all the while.</p>
<p>She sighed. Was it that obvious? Wouldn't Dylas be able to tell if it was that obvious?</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Imagine that."</p>
<p>The deep voice sent a jolt down her spine. "Leon?"</p>
<p>"Having a late lunch too?"</p>
<p>Though he seemed friendly, something in his smile held a bit of the mischief he was fond of. She took a sip of her complimentary water.</p>
<p>"How was the bath? Manage to cool down?" He glanced behind her and grinned broadly. "Or did it only stoke the fires?"</p>
<p>She grimaced. "You!"</p>
<p>He laughed. "I adore that face of yours."</p>
<p>Dylas cleared his throat. "Are you two going to order or are you wasting my time?"</p>
<p>Frey yelped. "Dylas! W-when did you get here?"</p>
<p>His eyes narrowed. "I've been here the entire time."</p>
<p>"You have?" she questioned meekly.</p>
<p>Leon burst into a laughter. "Be nice to our lady. She seems to be suffering from some hot flashes."</p>
<p>"Leon!" she squeaked.</p>
<p>"See how red her face is?"</p>
<p>Frey buried her face in her hands. "Stop!"</p>
<p>"Isn't she adorable? You agree, right, Dylas?"</p>
<p>Frey peeked through her fingers at Dylas.</p>
<p>Their gaze met.</p>
<p>Her chest tightened.</p>
<p>"Whatever," Dylas scoffed as he rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>His word stabbed her heart. She couldn't stop the instant tears that formed. She closed the gaps of her fingers and attempted to banish her tears.</p>
<p>"Hey!" Leon growled, voice unnaturally deep and curt. "Get us two preludes to love, a salted lampshade squid, and a piece of cake."</p>
<p>Dylas walked off. Leon rubbed his foot against Frey's under the table. "You okay?"</p>
<p>She nodded and removed her hands, wiping the last of the tears with the back of her hand. "I knew he would say that, but still, it hurts."</p>
<p>"Sorry. I set him up for that. But I wasn't teasing you. You are truly the cutest thing I've ever seen."</p>
<p>She gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, Leon."</p>
<p>Dylas came back with the food and unceremoniously dumped it in front of them before walking off without a single word. Frey frowned. "He's mad at me, isn't he?"</p>
<p>Leon glanced at Dylas and back at her. "I wouldn't say that, exactly." He grabbed his fork and cut off a piece of cake. "Here, aaah!"</p>
<p>Her cheeks flushed. "What are you doing?"</p>
<p>He smiled. "I do enjoy this expression as well." He turned the fork around and handed it to her. "Eat up, it's my treat."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The warm sun comforted Frey as she walked around town. What an odd day. With Leon everything ordinary turned to extraordinary. His teasing drove her mad, but he was also very sweet about it. It wasn't born out of malice.</p>
<p>She sighed. He was really cute too. Whenever he was about to cause mischief his tail would twitch. <em>I wonder if he would blush if I told him that?</em> She smiled to herself. <em>I doubt anything will make that man embarrassed.</em></p>
<p>She walked up the stairs to the observatory. Maybe a nice view would help clear her mind. As she opened the door, a certain blue-haired man came into view. Her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed and clutched her chest. <em>Where did that come from?</em></p>
<p>"Hi, Leon," she greeted. "We sure do bump into each other a lot."</p>
<p>Leon turned around with a smile. "By the way.."</p>
<p>"Yeah?"</p>
<p>"You've been following me all day, haven't you?"</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. "It's pure coincidence, I promise."</p>
<p>He crossed his arm and tapped his fan against his bicep. "You just wanted to be with me, I'm sure. You should have said so." He crooked his arm, much like he did before. "Need a seeing-eye dog?"</p>
<p>When she didn't immediately respond, he grabbed her hand and held it tight.</p>
<p>"Wait, what!" she squealed.</p>
<p>He dragged her down the stairwell. Her heart raced as though they ran down the stairs. "L-Leon?" She tried to wrench her hand away, but he tightened his grip. As they walked, her heartbeat wouldn't slow. She bit her lip and looked down, unable to look at Leon any longer. Her body felt on fire and the hand holding his felt like she called up a lightning spell. There seemed to be an electricity that buzzed between them.</p>
<p>"Is the incident at lunch still bothering you?"</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>He smiled down at her. "Guess not. Where do you want to go?"</p>
<p>"I-I don't know. I mean, I guess wherever you're going."</p>
<p>"Oh, in that case I'm going back to my room." She stopped in her tracks. When his arm tugged he turned around. Her expression made him laugh. "So many times in one day. You're spoiling me." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Here, let me give you a reward." He leaned forward.</p>
<p>Her face turned beet red. Was he going to take her first kiss? "L-Leon!"</p>
<p>His face stopped an inch from hers. "And <em>that</em>," he whispered, "Is my absolute favorite." He gently held her at arm's length before releasing her. "I'm sure I'll see you later today at the rate things are going."</p>
<p>She watched him walk away, heart still beating a thousand beats per minute. She clutched her chest and took a deep breath. <em>I'm not falling for him, am I?</em> No, it couldn't be it. It was simply because he was a huge flirt and she lacked experience in kissing and all that other couple stuff.</p>
<p>Even after he rounded the corner and went out of sight she couldn't stop staring in the empty space.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Ah, the horse," Leon muttered as he approached the lakeside. He stood next to Dylas and threw his fishing hook into the water.</p>
<p>"…Hmm?" Dylas murmured. "Oh, Leon. It's you."</p>
<p>"You seem bored."</p>
<p>Dylas shrugged. "Not especially."</p>
<p>"Don't try to hide it. You have nothing to do right now, do you?"</p>
<p>"I think you're the bored one here, man."</p>
<p>Leon squatted and loosely held his pole in his hand. "What do you think of our princess?"</p>
<p>Dylas glanced down at him, brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"</p>
<p>"It means what it says."</p>
<p>Dylas sighed in disgust. "I don't have to answer that to you."</p>
<p>Leon's ears perked up. He cocked his head to the side and studied Dylas' face. "You know, you're going to lose with that attitude."</p>
<p>"Lose what?" he snapped. "I don't lose in anything!"</p>
<p>"The things that are precious to you should be kept close, that's all. If they're not, they'll be snatched away before you know it."</p>
<p>Dylas arched an eyebrow. "You're weirding me out, man."</p>
<p>Leon shrugged. "Just giving some friendly advice. I am a priest, after all."</p>
<p>"I didn't ask for your advice!"</p>
<p>A sigh left Leon's chest. "You're not quite as fun as I imagined you'd be. I should state it clearly – Frey will be my wife."</p>
<p>Dylas dropped his fishing pole into the water. "What's that supposed to mean?"</p>
<p>Leon smirked. "That gets a reaction, does it? I mean what I say. You're not the only one fond of our princess."</p>
<p>Dylas growled and stomped off. Leon stood, dusted himself off, and followed him.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Frey wiped her brow and leaned against the window of her shop. <em>What a day, what a day!</em> Between Dylas and Leon her heart seemed like it would die of over stimulation.</p>
<p>"Hey!" Dylas yelled as ran to her.</p>
<p>Frey looked up, confused. He seemed upset about something. "Hi?"</p>
<p>"I'm not going to lose!" he proclaimed before running off.</p>
<p>She watched his back disappear into the sunset. "What was that about?"</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Leon laughed from afar. He may lose this war, but so long as Frey was happy, he too, would be happy. Of course, that didn't mean he would surrender without a fight. "Look what we have here," he greeted, sauntering over to the adorable princess.</p>
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